Flatiron rest



C. D. TYLER FLATIRON REST Nov. 8, 1955 Filed Jan. 17, 1950 22 Claude D. Tyler INVENTOR BY A TTORi United States Patent FLATIRON REST Claude D. Tyler, MountMorris, Mich.

Application January 17, 1950, Serial No. 139,019

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-1171) The present invention relates to a flatiron rest upon which a flatiron may be placed and supported when not actually in use, and aims to provide a novel andimproved device of this character which is simple and substantial in construction, which can be manufactured economically, and which will be thoroughly eflicient and practical in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an iron rest supported by an ironing board andwhich can be detached from the ironing board when not in use, which supports an iron away from the ironing surface of said ironing board when said iron is not being used in the actual process of ironing, and which is adjustable to the position most convenient for the person using same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an iron rest in accordance With the preceding objects which is constructed of relativly thin sheet metal stampings shaped and associated with one another in a manner to stiifen and support said stampings in all adjustable positions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an iron rest in conformity with the above-mentioned objects, wherein one of the stampings which constitutes an ironing board attachingbracket is constructed and positioned with respect to the'ironing board so as not to interfere with the removal and replacement of padding and covering or with the folding of the legs of the" ironing board.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an iron rest as set forth in the preceding objects wherein substantial frictional engagement of adjustable'pa'rts is present for maintaining such parts in their respective positions after being forced to the desired adjusted positions.

These and other objects and advantages and the manner in which they are attained will become apparentfrom the following detailed description of the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view'of 'an ironing board with my improved iron rest attached;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the iron rest prior to attachment to an ironing board;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line-3 3 of Figure -1 showing the iron rest attached to a wooden ironing board;

Figure 4 is an end view of the iron rest removed from its supporting bracket; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1, showing the iron rest attached to a metal ironing board.

Referring in detail to the accompanying drawings, the numerals 10, 11, and 12 designate respectively the bracket, arm, and platform. Each of these parts is constructed of a single piece of sheet metal cut or stamped to a shape and bent or pressed to a form to produce one of the above elements. When one of each of said parts constituting the essential elements are assembled, a complete iron rest is produced. The arm 11 is slidably supported to adjustable positions in the bracket and is also detachable therefrom, while the iron-receiving and -supporting platform 12 is adjustable for turning movement on the opposite end of the arm 11 from that which is received in the bracket 10 and always remains connected to the arm.

The bracket 10 which is adapted to be rigidly attached to the underside of an ironing board 13 at a location approximating that illustrated in Figure l is blanked and formed in a manner comprising a flat rectangular portion 14 with holes 15 therein through which fastening elements extend for effecting said attachment, two downwardly directed parallel-spaced side portions 16 bent from said flat rectangular portion, and two inwardly extending under portions 17 bent from said side portions. Thus, it can be seen that the purpose of the bracket is to provide a pair of spaced underhung guide rails for slidably supporting the arm 11. After the bracket 10 is once'secured to the ironing board, it remains a part thereof, detachable from the arm 11 and platform 12 which are removable as a unit from the ironing board when said board and rest are not in use and are stored away.

The sheet metal from which the arm 11 is constructed is blanked and formed to provide a relatively long, flat body portion 18 with opposite side walls 19 extending upwardly throughout the length thereof, thus producing an arm of channel shape in cross section, said channel shape being for the purpose of stiffening the arm, for increasing the engaging surfaces thereof with the underhung guide rails of the bracket to both guide and apply friction during forced sliding movement of the arm in the bracket, and for a purpose which will be set forth as the description proceeds.

All sharp corners at the ends of the side walls 19 of the arm 11 and ends of the inwardly extending rails 17 of the bracket are rounded, as at 20 and 21 respectively, to avoid physical injury, damage to clothing, and to aid in entering the arm 11 intothe bracket 10 when assembling the iron rest parts for use.

Either during the blanking operation of the arm 11 or as a separate operation thereafter, holes 22 and 23 are punched or otherwise made in the fiat body portion of said arm, one being located near each end thereof, the hole 22 serving the purpose for hanging the arm upon a nail or the like, not shown, when the iron rest is not in use, while the hole 23 is for receiving a rivet 24 therethrough for pivotally connecting the platform 12 to the arm.

The platform 12 as previously'stated is likewise constructed of a single'piece of sheet metal blanked of a size and shape to produce a flat area 25 of a size and shape conforming to but slightly larger than that of the bottom of the ordinary flatiron completely surrounded by an upturned flange 26 produced by a forming operation. During the blanking operation, two relatively large openings 27 and 28 are punched in the flat area 25 effecting a bridged area 29 substantially central of the flat area and joining opposite sides thereof, and one small hole 30 is punched in said bridged area, preferably at the same. time, through which the rivet 24 extends. While forming the blank to turn the continuous flange 26, the bridged area 29 has the central portion thereof between its-ends and where the hole 30 is provided offset downwardly as at 31, to a lower plane a distance equal to or slightly less than the height of the upturned side walls 19 of the arm 11.

By having the flange 26 continuous and completely surrounding the iron-engaging flat area 25, said flange, while holding the iron against accidental sliding movement from the platform, also substantially stiifens the area 25 to support the same in its original flat state against bending or warping during use and thus provides a perfect fiat surface on the underside of said area 25 for contacting the edges 32 of the upturned side walls 19 of the arm 11 in all adjusted positions of the platform 12 with respect to the arm 11. Contacting the undersurface of the platform 12 with the edges 32 of the arm 11 at locations spaced a considerable distance from the pivotal connection of these two elements not only supports the platform against bending or rocking motion upon the arm at the pivot, but in addition, increases to a considerable degree frictional engagement of the two elements to retain the adjusted position of platform on the arm after once being forced to its adjusted position.

In Figure 3, the bracket of the iron rest is shown as attached to a wooden ironing board, either during manufacture thereof or at a later period, by extending wood screws 33 through the holes from the underside and threading said screws into the board, while Figure 5 illustrates a manner of attachment to a metal ironing board by which the holes 15 are also utilized for the reception of fastening means. in this case, flat-headed bolts 34 are passed through these holes after having been passed through openings of a perforated sheet metal top 35 and through spacing collars 36 before having nuts 37 threaded thereon. However, should it be desired that the bracket 10 be a part of the construction of the metal ironing board during the manufacture thereof, said bracket could be conveniently and efficiently attached permanently to the metal ironing board by welding the upper surfaces of the fiat portion 14 of the bracket to the longitudinal stiffening members 38 of the metal ironing board top shown in Figure 5.

Because of the construction and association of the arm 11 and bracket 10 which space the flat portions 18 and 14 respectively thereof apart during the reception of the arm in the bracket, there is not an interference of the arm with either type of fastening means employed.

In operation, the permanently connected elements of the iron rest comprising the arm 11 and pivoted platform 12 thereon are assembled to the bracket 10 carried by the ironing board by sliding the arm 11 into the bracket 10 either before or after the ironing board has been set up for use. After the ironing board has been set up for use, the iron may then be placed on the platform, and by applying pressure on the iron towards or away from the ironing board, the iron engaging the flange 26 of the platform will slide the arm in the bracket to properly adjusted position in such directions. By then turning the iron, the platform will likewise be turned on its pivotal connection to the arm to whatever angle with respect to said arm that is the most comfortable and convenient position to place and remove the iron to and from the rest during placing, arranging, and removing material on, and from the ironing board.

Should a person using the rest desire to reach over the board to place and lift the iron from the rest or should a person be left-handed, the arm 11 may be inserted into the bracket 10 from the opposite side of the board, as the bracket 10 is of identical construction at both ends.

As previously stated, the bracket 10 terminates short of opposite sides of the ironing board a sufficient distance so that it does not interfere with removal and replacement of padding and covering, and is within the areas occupied by the legs of the ironing board when the board is folded up and not in use.

Having described my invention with reference to a presently preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various changes may be made Without departing from the spirit and full intendment of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A flatiron rest comprising a bracket U-shaped in cross section and consisting of an attaching plate adapted to be secured to the underside of an ironing board, oppositely disposed side walls depending from said plate, and inwardly directed guide rails on said side walls spaced below said attaching plate; an arm of sheet metal construction and channel-shaped in cross section adapted to have one end thereof slidably received in said bracket with the spaced flange portions of the channel extending upwardly and'in contact engagement with said plate and side walls and with opposite sides of its web portion in contact engagement with said guide rails while extending to one side of said bracket; an iron-supporting platform of greater width and length than the width of said channel-shaped arm and with the bottom surface thereof in contact engagement with the upper edges of the spaced flanges of the channel, said platform being constructed of sheet metal to provide an iron-engaging flat surface, an upturned flange on said iron-engaging flat surface, and a downwardly offset portion formed substantially central of said platform and being offset substantially the same distance as that of the height of the side walls of said channel-shaped arm, and means pivotally connecting said platform at said offset portion to said arm substantially midway between the upturned spaced flanges of said arm.

2. A flatiron rest comprising a bracket adapted for attachment to the underside of an ironing board; an arm adapted to have one end detachably supported on said bracket while the other end thereof extends from said bracket under and beyond one side of the ironing board, said arm being of sheet metal construction in the shape of a channel throughout its length and being longitudinally arranged on substantially a horizontal plane and with the spaced longitudinally extending flange portions of the channel turned upwardly; an iron-supported platform of greater width than said channel-shaped arm positioned on the extended end of said arm with the undersurface thereof in contact engagement with the upper edges of the spaced flanges of the channel, said platform being constructed of sheet metal to provide a horizontal iron-engaging flat surface, an upturned flange outwardly of said flat surface, and a downwardly offset portion formed substantiallycentral of said platform; and pivot means connecting said platform at said offset portion to said arm substantially midway between the upturned spaced flanges of the channel arm and thereby retaining the undersurface of said platform in engagement with the upper edges of the spaced flanges of the channel arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 438,039 Walters Oct. 7, 1890 881,511 Waters Mar. 10, 1908 1,073,483 Frost Sept. 16, 1913 1,994,777 MacKenzie Mar. 19, 1935 2,519,771 Lacore Aug. 22, 1950 2,555,873 Clark June 5, 1951 

